Oh, it is the third go around. The first time some of them opted in, they were relegated to the back benches for defying their leader because they chose to buy into the pension plan. That was at about the same time when their leader was sitting in the second or third row. The leader of the Reform Party, when he first came to the House of Commons said, “Hey, listen. This is new. I do not want to be special. I am going to sit in the second or third row. This is going to be great and wonderful. It is a new sense of equality in the House of Commons”.
That was a very popular thing to say and do until after about three or four weeks he decided that he was getting lost in the crowd. Yes, there are such things as television cameras. Yes, there is something to be said for sitting in the front row. I would just love to be sitting beside my deputy leader in the front row but that privilege is given to our House leader. He is the honoured gentleman to sit beside this wonderful lady day after day and night after night in the House of Commons.
Guess what the Leader of the Opposition did on this one. He completely changed his mind. “Hey, listen, that sounded good but it does not work so off I go to the front row”. He did not look too good in the front row. He had to have his hair changed. This is true as I am standing here. He said, “I do not like the look of my hair”. I think they did a focus group.
It is like me, Mr. Chairman. You can remember when I had a pretty good hairdo about 12 years ago. My wife does not brag about my hair anymore for obvious reasons. I do not have much.
That did not stop the Reform Party leader. Guess what he did? He had a makeover, which is fine. There is nothing wrong with doing that. A lot of people do it. He got a new hairdo and a dye job to go with it. He did not like his voice because the focus group said it was too high and squeaky and he had better change it. He attempted to change his voice in his makeover. He got rid of the glasses as well and used contact lenses because apparently that gives a better impression on television.
The point I am making is that these are major flip-flops, some of them personal, to which we are entitled. I guess dress is important in this business. The way we comb our hair and the colour of it are all important. Those are major flip-flops by the Leader of the Opposition.